Mobile communications terminal, mobile communications system and mobile communications data rate display method

Abstract

A mobile wireless communications system includes mobile terminals and a base station for wireless communications. A base station sends a pilot signal to the mobile terminals. The pilot signal received by the mobile terminal is correlated to a data rate according to predetermined rules. The correlated data rate is further correlated to a display symbol. The mobile terminal specifies the data rate correlated to the pilot signal received and causes a display device of the mobile terminal to display the display symbol correlated to the specified data rate for its user to view.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A mobile terminal that performs mobile communications via a base station, comprising: 
 a receiving section that receives a signal from the base station to measure a data rate;    a signal processing section that measures data relating to the data rate based on the signal received by the receiving section;    a symbol determination section that, according to predetermined rules, specifies a data rate based on the data measured by the signal processing section, categorizes the specified data rate into a rate class, and specifies an image symbol that is determined in advance to correspond to the categorized rate class; and    a display section that displays the image symbol specified by the symbol determination section.    
     
     
         2 . A mobile terminal according to  claim 1 , further comprising a storage section that stores a symbol determination table that stores rate classes, data rate ranges, and image symbols that are correlated to each other in advance, wherein the symbol determination section categorizes the specified data rate into the rate class to which the specified data rate belongs based on data stored in the symbol determination table and specifies an image symbol corresponding to the categorized rate class.  
     
     
         3 . A mobile terminal according to  claim 2 , further comprising a user interface section that accepts registration of, and changes to, the rate classes in the symbol determination table, as well as registration of, and changes to, the image symbols in the symbol determination table.  
     
     
         4 . A mobile terminal according to any one of claims  1 - 3 , wherein the symbol determination section performs a statistical processing to find an increase/decrease tendency value in data regarding the data rate measured by the signal processing section, and if the increase/decrease tendency value obtained through the statistical processing indicates a greater decrease tendency than a predetermined value, an image symbol that corresponds to a rate class one class lower than the image symbol that corresponds to the specified rate is newly specified, and the newly specified image symbol is displayed on the display section.  
     
     
         5 . A mobile communications system comprising: 
 at least one mobile terminal including a receiving section that receives a signal from the base station to measure a data rate, a signal processing section that measures data relating to the data rate based on the signal received by the receiving section, a symbol determination section that, according to predetermined rules, specifies a data rate based on the data measured by the signal processing section, categorizes the specified data rate into a rate class, and specifies an image symbol that is determined in advance to correspond to the categorized rate class, and a display section that displays the image symbol specified by the symbol determination section; and    a base station that is connectable to the mobile terminal via a wireless network, the base station having a communication processing section that sends to the mobile terminal a signal for measuring the data rate.    
     
     
         6 . A mobile communications system according to  claim 5 , wherein the mobile terminal further comprises a storage section that stores a symbol determination table that stores rate classes, data rate ranges, and image symbols that are correlated to each other in advance, wherein the symbol determination section categorizes the specified data rate into the rate class to which the specified data rate belongs based on data stored in the symbol determination table and specifies an image symbol corresponding to the categorized rate class.  
     
     
         7 . A mobile communications system according to  claim 6 , wherein the mobile terminal further comprises a user interface section that accepts registration of, and changes to, the rate classes in the symbol determination table, as well as registration of, and changes to, the image symbols in the symbol determination table.  
     
     
         8 . A mobile terminal according to any one of claims  5 - 7 , wherein the symbol determination section performs a statistical processing to find an increase/decrease tendency value in data regarding the data rate measured by the signal processing section, and if the increase/decrease tendency value obtained through the statistical processing indicates a greater decrease tendency than a predetermined value, an image symbol that corresponds to a rate class one class lower than the image symbol that corresponds to the specified rate is newly specified, and the newly specified image symbol is displayed on the display section.  
     
     
         9 . A mobile terminal that performs mobile communications via a base station comprising: 
 a receiving section that receives from the base station a signal that includes data that designates a data rate;    a symbol determination section that specifies, according to predetermined rules, an image symbol that corresponds to the data rate based on the data that designates the data rate and that is included in the signal received by the receiving section; and    a display section that displays the image symbol specified by the symbol determination section.    
     
     
         10 . A mobile communications system comprising: 
 at least one mobile terminal including a receiving section that receives from the base station a signal that includes data that designates a data rate;    a symbol determination section that specifies, according to predetermined rules, an image symbol that corresponds to the data rate based on the data that designates the data rate and that is included in the signal received by the receiving section; and    a display section that displays the image symbol specified by the symbol determination section; and    a base station that is connectable to the mobile terminal via a wireless network, the base station having a communication processing section that sends to the mobile terminal a signal for designating the data rate.    
     
     
         11 . A mobile communications system according to  claim 10 , wherein the mobile terminal further comprises a storage section that stores a symbol determination table that stores rate classes, data rate ranges, and image symbols that are correlated to each other in advance, wherein the symbol determination section categorizes the specified data rate into the rate class to which the specified data rate belongs based on data stored in the symbol determination table and specifies an image symbol corresponding to the categorized rate class.  
     
     
         12 . A mobile communications system according to  claim 11 , wherein the mobile terminal further comprises a user interface section that accepts registration of, and changes to, the rate classes in the symbol determination table, as well as registration of, and changes to, the image symbols in the symbol determination table.  
     
     
         13 . A mobile terminal according to any one of claims  10 - 12 , wherein the symbol determination section performs a statistical processing to find an increase/decrease tendency value in data regarding the data rate measured by the signal processing section, and if the increase/decrease tendency value obtained through the statistical processing indicates a greater decrease tendency than a predetermined value, an image symbol that corresponds to a rate class one class lower than the image symbol that corresponds to the specified rate is newly specified, and the newly specified image symbol is displayed on the display section.  
     
     
         14 . A data rate display method for displaying a data rate of communicated data on a display screen of a mobile terminal that performs mobile communications via a base station, the data rate display method comprising the steps of: 
 at the base station, executing a transmission processing that transmits a signal to measure a data rate; and    at the mobile terminal, executing a receiving processing that receives the signal from the base station to measure a data rate;    executing a signal processing that measures data relating to the data rate based on the signal received by the receiving processing;    executing a symbol determination processing that, according to predetermined rules, specifies a data rate based on the data measured by the signal processing section, categorizes the specified data rate into a rate class, and specifies an image symbol that is determined in advance to correspond to the categorized rate class; and    executing a display processing that displays the image symbol specified by the symbol determination section.    
     
     
         15 . A data rate display method according to  claim 14 , further comprising the step of storing in a storage section a symbol determination table that stores rate classes, data rate ranges, and image symbols that are correlated to each other in advance, wherein the symbol determination processing categorizes the specified data rate into the rate class to which the specified data rate belongs based on data stored in the symbol determination table and specifies an image symbol corresponding to the categorized rate class.  
     
     
         16 . A data rate display method according to  claim 15 , further comprising the step of a user interface processing that accepts registration of, and changes to, the rate classes in the symbol determination table, as well as registration of, and changes to, the image symbols in the symbol determination table.  
     
     
         17 . A data rate display method according to any one of claims  14 - 16 , wherein the symbol determination processing comprises the steps of: 
 performing a statistical processing to find an increase/decrease tendency value in data regarding the data rate measured by the signal processing section;    if the increase/decrease tendency value obtained through the statistical processing indicates a greater decrease tendency than a predetermined value, newly specifying an image symbol that corresponds to a rate class one class lower than the image symbol that corresponds to the specified rate; and displaying the newly specified image symbol on the display section.    
     
     
         18 . A data rate display method for displaying a data rate of communicated data on a display screen of a mobile terminal that performs mobile communications via a base station, the data rate display method comprising the steps of: 
 at the base station, executing a transmission processing that transmits a signal including data to designate a data rate; and    at the mobile terminal, executing a receiving processing that receives from the base station a signal that includes data that designates a data rate;    executing a symbol determination processing that specifies, according to predetermined rules, an image symbol that corresponds to the data rate based on the data that designates the data rate included in the signal received by the receiving processing; and    executing a display processing that displays the image symbol specified by the symbol determination section.    
     
     
         19 . A data rate display method according to claim-  18 , further comprising the step of storing in a storage section a symbol determination table that stores rate classes, data rate ranges, and image symbols that are correlated to each other in advance, wherein the symbol determination processing categorizes the specified data rate into the rate class to which the specified data rate belongs based on data stored in the symbol determination table and specifies an image symbol corresponding to the categorized rate class.  
     
     
         20 . A data rate display method according to  claim 19 , further comprising the step of a user interface processing that accepts registration of, and changes to, the rate classes in the symbol determination table, as well as registration of, and changes to, the image symbols in the symbol determination table.  
     
     
         21 . A data rate display method according to any one of claims  18 - 20 , wherein the symbol determination processing comprises the steps of: 
 performing a statistical processing to find an increase/decrease tendency value in data regarding the data rate measured by the signal processing section;    if the increase/decrease tendency value obtained through the statistical processing indicates a greater decrease tendency than a predetermined value, newly specifying an image symbol that corresponds to a rate class one class lower than the image symbol that corresponds to the specified rate; and    displaying the newly specified image symbol on the display section.